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2021-05-05

Airbus to Bid for Canada’s Strategic Tanker Replacement Project

Recently, Airbus was qualified by the Government of Canada as a bidder for the Strategic Tanker Transport Capability (STTC) project. The procurement process was launched to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Airbus A310MRTT (CC-150 Polaris) multirole tanker fleet.

Released at the beginning of 2021, the invitation to qualify (ITQ) identified Airbus’ A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft as capable of meeting the project’s requirements, which now moves to the next stage of the call for tender. A draft request for proposal (RFP) is expected in Q3 2021.

The STTC programme is looking to replace the RCAF CC-150 Polaris tanker fleet with a multirole aircraft capable of conducting a wide range of missions including NATO and NORAD operations, ranging from air-to-air refuelling to strategic Government of Canada transport and aeromedical evacuation.

Simon Jacques, President of Airbus Defence and Space Canada, said: “The A330 MRTT is the only new generation, combat- proven, multirole tanker available. It is certified to operate with the majority of western receivers, including Canada’s current fighters, transport and mission aircraft. It has more than 250,000 flight hours in service with 13 nations, including key NATO allies and Five Eyes partners such as Australia and the United Kingdom.”

Active in several Canadian provinces, Airbus has approximately 3,800 employees across the country and sustains more than 23,000 indirect jobs in the aeronautics sector. The company works with over 665 suppliers in nine provinces, sourcing US$1.8 billion CAD from Canadian companies.

All Airbus divisions are present in Canada with commercial aircraft in Mirabel, QC, helicopters in Fort Erie, ON and Defense and Space in Ottawa, Ontario. Airbus 100 per cent owned subsidiaries, Stelia Aerospace and NAVBLUE also have installations in the country. In addition, Air Pro, a joint venture between Airbus and PAL Aerospace, located in Ottawa, provides in-service support to the FWSAR programme in Canada (Airbus C295 aircraft to RCAF).

As a new-generation tanker, the A330 MRTT is combat-proven and with unique multi-role capabilities. The tanker has been ordered by Australia (as launch customer), France, NATO, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, the UAE and the UK, and has received 61 total aircraft sales as of March 2021.

The A330 MRTT offers the highest capacity of all tanker aircraft as it can carry up to 111 tonnes of fuel. Moreover, it has the capacity of offloading 50,000 kg of fuel to a broad range of receivers during a four-hour loitering mission at over 1,000 nm from its take-off point.

Unmatched Capacity

The A330 MRTT unmatched fuel capacity allows it to offload more fuel at any given distance. More fuel on-board results in more flexibility, range and longer time on station, thereby improving efficiency and effectiveness of fast jets operations. Refuelling capabilities of the A330 MRTT have been validated in testing operations with fighter and larger receiver aircraft. Key features include:

Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS)

The A330 MRTT is provided with the advanced Airbus Defence and Space Aerial Refuelling Boom System (ARBS). This helps to refuel receptacle-equipped aircraft such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-35A Lightning II.

Its fast fuel flow rate (up to a maximum of 3,600 kg/min – 1,200 US gal/min) makes the ARBS a capable new-generation flight-proven boom available. Noteworthy handling qualities are provided for the operation of the ARBS, rated as such by independent assessments.

Under-wing Pods

These provide simultaneous hose and drogue refuelling at high fuel offload rate (1,300 kg/min – 420 US gal/min), allowing receivers to minimise refuelling time and increase operation efficiency.

The Cobham 905E under-wing pods, currently in service and proven in operation, enable the A330 MRTT to refuel any NATO or allied probe-equipped receivers such as the Eurofighter, the Tornado, the Jaguar or the F/A18 Hornet. The 900 series wing-pods incorporate a digitally controlled and electrically operated hose drum unit, optimising reliability and maintainability.

Fuselage Refuelling Unit (FRU)

The FRU, a removable hose and drogue unit, allows refuelling receivers with a different fuel type. This option ensures NATO fuel type is transferred from wing-pods, while an alternative fuel type is dispensed from the FRU. Large probe-equipped aircraft such as the A400M or C295 can be refuelled at a high fuel offload rate of 1,800 kg/min – 600 US gal/min via the Cobham 805E FRU.

The air-to-air refuelling (AAR) systems are controlled from an advanced Fuel Operator Console that is positioned in the cockpit, increasing the safety of the AAR operation by ensuring a timely and synchronised reaction of the flight crew to unexpected events. It also features an Enhanced Vision System, a high definition 2D/3D digital system that enables performing day and night refuelling and can provide high resolution video recording of the refuelling operations.

SMART MRTT

Last year, Airbus joined with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to develop the A330 SMART MRTT – providing the company’s A330-derived Multi Role Tanker Transport with capabilities such as Automatic Air-to-Air refuelling and enhanced maintenance.

The company has begun flight testing for the development of the A330 SMART MRTT. The newly evolved aircraft will reportedly be the world’s first to integrate the fully Automatic Air-to-Air Refuelling (A3R) capability. Using a converted tanker from the Republic of Singapore Air Force for the campaign, the SMART MRTT will also bring other innovations such as an enhanced vision system for night-time covert operations and improved sensors to capture more data and move towards predictive maintenance.

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